Highlights
The pace of population displacement has slowed in Syria since the Cessation of Hostilities, since the beginning of February approximately 106,000 people were newly displaced around Aleppo, Idleb and Hassakeh Governorates. Ongoing displacement towards Jordan is reported in Dara’a Governorate as a consequence of the fighting in South Syria with at least 8,500 people have been displaced.
UNICEF is working within the Whole of Syria response to provide emergency support in the hard-to-reach and besieged areas inside Syria. In March, UNICEF reached at least 343,900 people in 39 hard-to-reach locations with life-saving supplies and critical services in the areas of WASH, education, health and nutrition and child protection. Deliveries included supplies to reach at least 50,000 beneficiaries in five of 19 besieged areas.
UNICEF continues to provide emergency response to the 32,000 Syrians on the border between Syria and Jordan, including screening for malnutrition and promotion of Infant and Young Child Feeding.
As the hotter summer season approaches, efficient use and conservation of household water remains a need not only in refugee camps but in host communities. In Iraq, UNICEF has been supporting awareness raising on water conservation in key central and northern areas. While in Jordan UNICEF is piloting a water reuse project with the Ministry of Education.
To maintain the MENA region as Polio Free UNICEF has continued support to vaccination campaigns across the region, with 1.5 million children vaccinated across Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Iraq. The results of the campaign in Egypt where a further 15 million children were estimated reached remain to be verified. UNICEF is also promoting the uptake of routine immunization by crisis affected children, with over 28,000 children reached in 2016 to date.
UNICEF Psychosocial Support programmes for children have reached over 247,000 children in 2016 across all six countries affected by the Syria crisis as a contribution to results under the No Lost Generation Initiative.
Humanitarian Overview
The 15th of March marked the fifth year of the conflict in Syria (The Impact of Five Years of War on Syria's Children and Their Childhoods) . Since the cessation of hostilities (COH) came into effect on 27 February, March was the calmest month in a long time, with signs of normalcy in some parts of the country including children returning to schools. One of the objectives of the COH was to increase aid to besieged areas, some of which had not been reached in years. However, six besieged locations in urgent need, including East Harasta, Darayya and Duma in Rural Damascus, were not yet granted access by the Government. The expected enhanced access to priority besieged locations through inter-agency humanitarian convoys was also hampered by bureaucratic complications and limitations on the provision of surgical supplies. Since 12 March, the Al Waer neighbourhood in Homs city has been under siege, with civilians, food, and vehicles denied access.
While the pace of population displacement has slowed in Syria, since the beginning of February approximately 106,000 people were newly displaced around Aleppo (65,000), Idleb (16,000) and due to ongoing fighting in Hassakeh Governorate (at least 25,000). IDP needs also remain due to displacement from Deir Ez-Zor through Qamishli and onwards by plane to Damascus. Ongoing displacements towards Jordan continue to be reported in Dara’a Governorate, as a consequence of the fighting between ISIS-affiliated groups, Jabhat al Nusra and Non-State Armed Groups, as well as Syrian Government Forces military offenses. At least 8,500 people have been displaced from Jilien, Masaken Jilien, Heet and Sheikh Saeed towards Al-Fawwar spring, Ziezon, Nawa, Al-Amouria and surrounding camps, in the proximity of the borders with Jordan. Displacement is reportedly taking place mainly within non-Government controlled locations.
In Iraq the ongoing budgetary crisis in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) affects the delivery of health services for refugees. Risks of a public health outbreak remain high, particularly in non-camp settings and areas under control of armed opposition groups where health services may not manage regular outreach due to insecurity and ongoing violence.